Flight prices can shift dozens of times in a single day. Check in the morning and it's one price, come back in the afternoon and it's completely different. That kind of fluctuation isn't random, it's the result of dynamic pricing systems running in real time. The good news is, you don't have to manually monitor prices around the clock, because the price alert features on Google Flights and Skyscanner can do it for you automatically.
Why Are Flight Prices Always Fluctuating?
Before getting into how to use these features, it helps to understand why flight prices are so unstable in the first place. Airlines use dynamic pricing algorithms that adjust fares based on a whole range of variables at once, including remaining seat availability, current demand levels, time until departure, competition between airlines on the same route, and historical booking trends.
That means two people searching for the exact same flight at different times can end up seeing very different prices. This is exactly why price alerts are such a useful tool, the system works quietly in the background and notifies you the moment prices move to a point that works in your favor.
What Is a Price Alert and How Does It Work?
A price alert is an automatic notification feature that monitors flight prices for the route and dates you specify. Whenever the price changes significantly, whether up or down, the system sends you a notification via email or app push notification. No need to keep reopening the search page every day. According to Google Flights' official documentation, the feature also comes with price trend predictions based on 12 months of historical data for similar routes.
How to Set a Price Alert on Google Flights
Google Flights is one of the most comprehensive flight search platforms out there, pulling data from over 300 airlines and travel agents. Here's how to activate price alerts on the platform.
Steps on Desktop
- Go to google.com/travel/flights and make sure you're logged into your Google account — notifications are sent to your registered Gmail address
- Enter your departure city and destination, select your travel dates, then click Search
- At the top of the results page, find the "Track prices" button and toggle it on — price tracking starts immediately
- Choose "Any dates" if your travel dates are flexible — Google will send notifications whenever the minimum price for that route drops significantly within the next three to six months
Steps on Mobile
- Open the Google Flights app, enter your trip details as usual, then tap Search
- Once the results page loads, scroll up to find the "Track prices" button and toggle it on
- Notifications will come through via email as well as push notifications if you have app notifications enabled on your device
How to Monitor All Your Active Price Alerts
All the price alerts you've set up can be managed in one place on the "Tracked Flights" page. This page displays a price change graph from the very first day you started tracking that route, so you can see historical price trends and decide the best time to book.
Bonus Feature: Google Flights Explore
For travelers who haven't locked in a destination yet, Google Flights has an Explore feature that's just as handy. Just enter your departure city, then type "Anywhere" as your destination or leave the destination field blank. An interactive map will appear showing flight prices to destinations all over the world at once.
This is incredibly useful if you want to know where you can fly on a specific budget without having to search one destination at a time. You can filter results by price limit, number of stops, airline, and even destination type like beach or city.
How to Set a Price Alert on Skyscanner
Skyscanner is a metasearch engine that simultaneously pulls price data from hundreds of airlines and travel agents. Its price alert feature works a little differently from Google Flights, but it's just as effective.
Steps on Desktop
- Go to skyscanner.com, enter your departure city and destination, then click Search Flights
- Once the results page appears, look for the "Get Price Alerts" button in the upper left corner and click it
- Log in or create a Skyscanner account if you don't have one yet — after that, the price alert is immediately active for the route and dates you selected
- Turn on "Add Nearby Airports" if your city has more than one airport, so you can compare all departure options at once
Steps on Mobile
- Open the Skyscanner app, enter your flight details, then tap Show all flights
- Scroll down until a "Like these flights?" banner appears and toggle it on to create a price alert, or tap the bell icon in the upper right corner
- Alternatively, tap the heart icon next to any search result to save that flight — every saved flight automatically gets a price alert created for it
How Often Skyscanner Sends Notifications
According to AFAR, Skyscanner adjusts its notification frequency based on how close you are to the departure date:
- More than 100 days before departure — notifications are sent once a week
- Less than 100 days before departure — price updates are sent every day
This difference in frequency is designed so you're not flooded with notifications long before the relevant booking window.
Comparing Price Alert Features: Google Flights vs. Skyscanner
Both platforms have their own strengths that complement each other nicely.
Google Flights stands out for:
- Historical price trend analysis displayed as visual graphs
- Forward-looking price increase predictions based on 12 months of data
- Seamless integration with Google accounts that most users already have
- The Explore feature for open-ended destination discovery via interactive map
Skyscanner stands out for:
- Broader search coverage, including third-party travel agents that don't always appear on Google
- A nearby airports feature that's easier to access directly from the results page
- No Google account required to use it
For best results, many experienced travelers use both simultaneously — setting price alerts on Google Flights for trend monitoring, and on Skyscanner for wider price coverage.
Tips for Getting the Most Out of Price Alerts
Turning on a price alert is just the first step. Here are a few ways to get the best results from the feature.
- Set your alerts early — the longer you track, the more price trend data you accumulate, and the easier it becomes to spot when prices hit a low point
- Use flexible date options — if your schedule isn't locked in, enable "any dates" mode on Google Flights to monitor the best prices across a wider time window
- Set alerts for multiple routes at once, including alternative airports near your destination — a different airport can sometimes mean a significant price difference
- Keep your alerts active even after you've booked — NerdWallet recommends leaving price alerts on after purchasing because if prices drop further, you can cancel and rebook as long as your ticket has a free change policy
- Act fast when prices drop — price alerts don't hold or block seats, so move quickly the moment you get a notification for an attractive fare
The Bottom Line
Flight price fluctuations are unavoidable, but that doesn't mean you have to be glued to your screen. The price alert features on Google Flights and Skyscanner are built to take over that job automatically. Set up alerts on both platforms, follow the tips above, and your chances of landing the best price go up significantly — without draining your time or energy.
